IV 

113TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION H. RES. 601 

Condemning the death sentence against Meriam Yahia Ibrahim Ishag, a 

Sudanese Christian woman accused of apostasy. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

MAY 28, 2014 

Mr. FRANKS of Arizona (for himself, Mr. WOLF, Mrs. WALORSKI, Mr. 

ROTHFUS, Mr. HUELSKAMP, Mr. GINGREY of Georgia, Mr. ADERHOLT, 

Mr. DUNCAN of South Carolina, Mrs. BACHMANN, Mrs. HARTZLER, Mr. 

COTTON, and Mr. BENTIVOLIO) submitted the following resolution; which 

was referred to the Committee on Foreign Affairs, and in addition to the 

Committee on the Judiciary, for a period to be subsequently determined 

by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall 

within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned 

RESOLUTION 

Condemning the death sentence against Meriam Yahia 

Ibrahim Ishag, a Sudanese Christian woman accused 

of apostasy. 

Whereas, on May 15, 2014, a Sudanese court affirmed a sentence of death by hanging for 27-year-old Meriam Yahia 

Ibrahim Ishag, a Christian woman accused of apostasy 

for refusing to recant her Christian faith, and ordered 

her to receive 100 lashes for adultery because under Sudan’s Shari’ah law such inter-religious marriages are illegal; 


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•HRES 601 IH 

Whereas Ibrahim is being held in the Omdurman Federal 

Women’s Prison with her 20-month-old son and newborn 

daughter; 

Whereas the Department of State has designated Sudan as 

a ‘‘Country of Particular Concern’’ under the International Religious Freedom Act of 1998 (Public Law 

105–292) based on the government’s systematic, ongoing, 

and egregious violations of religious freedom since 1999; 

Whereas the Sudanese 1991 Criminal Code allows for death 

sentences for apostasy, stoning for adultery, cross-amputations for theft, prison sentences for blasphemy, and 

floggings for undefined acts of ‘‘indecency’’; 

Whereas, according to the United States Commission on 

International Religious Freedom (USCIRF), the Government of Sudan, led by President Omar Hassan al-Bashir, 

continues to engage in systematic, ongoing, and egregious 

violations of religious freedom or belief, imposes a restrictive interpretation of Shari’ah law on Muslims and nonMuslims alike and, along with other National Congress 

Party leaders, President al-Bashir has stated that Sudan’s new constitution, when drafted, will be based on its 

interpretation of Shari’ah; 

Whereas, according to USCIRF, since South Sudan’s independence from Sudan in 2011, the number and severity 

of harsh Shari’ah-based judicial decisions in Sudan has 

increased, including sentences of amputation for theft 

and sentences of stoning for adultery; 

Whereas the United States Government has designated 

Sudan as a State Sponsor of Terrorism since August 12, 

1993, for repeatedly providing support for acts of international terrorism; 


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•HRES 601 IH 

Whereas the Sudanese 2005 Interim Constitution states that 

‘‘[t]he State shall respect the religious rights to (a) worship or assemble in connection with any religion or belief’’; 

Whereas the International Covenant on Civil and Political 

Rights, which the Government of Sudan has acceded, 

provides that ‘‘everyone shall have the right to freedom 

of thought, conscience, and religion. This right shall include freedom to have or to adopt a religion or belief of 

his choice, and freedom, either individually or in community with others, and in public or private, to manifest his 

religion or belief in worship, observance, practice, and 

teaching.’’; 

Whereas the Pew Research Center’s Forum on Religion & 

Public Life found that, as of 2011, 10 percent of the 198 

countries surveyed had apostasy laws which can, and 

have been, used to punish both Muslims and non-Muslims 

in countries such as Afghanistan, Pakistan, Morocco, and 

Sudan; and 

Whereas people have the right to practice their faith without 

fear of death or persecution: Now, therefore, be it 

1 Resolved, That the House of Representatives— 

2 (1) condemns the charge of apostasy and adul3 tery of Meriam Yahia Ibrahim Ishag and her sen4 tence of 100 lashes and the death penalty; 

5 (2) calls for the immediate and unconditional 

6 release of Ibrahim, her 20-month-old son, and new7 born daughter; 


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•HRES 601 IH 

1 (3) urges the United States Department of 

2 State and the Department of Homeland Security to 

3 prioritize granting Ibrahim asylum or refugee status 

4 as appropriate; 

5 (4) encourages efforts by the United States 

6 Government to support religious freedom within 

7 Sudan, including by requiring, before normalizing 

8 relations or lifting sanctions under the International 

9 Religious Freedom Act of 1998 (Public Law 105– 

10 292) and the International Emergency Economic 

11 Powers Act (50 U.S.C. 1701 et seq.), that the Gov12 ernment of Sudan abide by international standards 

13 of freedom of religion or belief; 

14 (5) recognizes that every individual regardless 

15 of religion should have the opportunity to practice 

16 his or her religion without fear of discrimination; 

17 (6) reaffirms the commitment of the United 

18 States Government to end religious discrimination 

19 and to pursue policies that guarantee the basic 

20 human rights of all individuals worldwide; and 

21 (7) encourages the Department of State and 

22 the United States Agency for International Develop23 ment to continue their support for initiatives world24 wide that support religious freedom. 

Æ 


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